


Episode 1984: Mister Rogers Talks About Space and Time

by CommanderBayban



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Genre: Comfort, Crossover, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27453367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderBayban/pseuds/CommanderBayban
Summary: Considering the Doctor was featured on many different UK children's shows back in the day, I wanted to write a piece about if he visited Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood.It's written as though he stepped onto atelevision showas opposed to a concept where MRN is a real place, so this story could be considered a 'script' (of sorts) written in prose.





	1. A Special, Speedy Delivery

“...And that’s what makes the car move, see?”

_Knock knock knock_

“There’s someone at the door,” Mister Rogers said, setting down his miniature screwdriver and plastic model coupé upon the kitchen table, “Let’s see who it is.”

Before arriving at the front entrance, he peeked through the window to see who was there. Unsurprisingly, yet always a delight to see, there stood a flaxen-haired postman clutching the strap of his blue mailsack, “It’s Mr. McFeely!” Fred burst as if he hadn't seen his friend in months.

Because the Neighbourhood was one hundred percent crime-free and everyone of everyone was a friend of each other, the front door could’ve been opened with the slightest puff of air.

“ _Super_ speedy delivery to you!” the postman beamed, a jolly grin spread across his face.

Mister Rogers’ eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he looked out toward the horizon, “Oh my, and what have you brought? That is a big delivery!” He couldn’t tell what he saw, but it was an eye-catcher no doubt.

“A big delivery indeed; it’s called a _TARDIS_! Would you like to see it up close?”

“Would I! And I think our television neighbour would like to see, too.”

Mr. McFeely led his friend out towards the driveway, where a large, blue police box towered over everything else—almost as tall as Fred’s house!

“A _TARDIS,_ you said?” Mister Rogers repeated, gazing up at the peculiar object. Usually David would bring little things, relatively speaking—cassette tapes, pictures, or guitars—or even odd things that could be simply explained, like a giraffe costume which was meant for a neighbour's performance. But Fred couldn’t make sense of this blue box. And a _police box_ , of all things?

Regardless of its meaning, it definitely was not brought along on the back basket of David's bike! Or maybe it was? He never underestimated his friend’s ability to deliver anything and everything with efficiency. “It looks like a police box. I know those are very popular overseas, in Great Britain?”

“In Britain, yep, but this is a special box," Mr. McFeely wagged his finger to the rhythm of his words, “The TARDIS, if I remember correctly, stands for Time in Relative Dimension in Space. Yes, I believe that’s what he told me.” In the short span of time he was in the ship, he had been bombarded with information that rivaled even his own mini-lectures. Gone were the simpler days of recounting how orange juice or harmonicas were made, now began the era of quantum physics and thermodynamics. Much to his dismay, Mr. McFeely comprehended nary of what he was told, but intended to stop by the local library on the way home from work to expand his knowledge.

“Time in Relative…,” Mister Rogers chuckled, “Sounds scientific!”

“Very much so,” he pretended to poke at Fred’s cardigan, “And guess what? It’s a spaceship that can travel through both time _and_ space!”

“A spaceship! Mr. McFeely, I didn’t know you were an astronaut!”

David grinned, “I wasn’t before, but now I am! The man who operates it, his name is the Doctor, gave me a super speedy ride over here! Much faster than my bike, that’s for sure!”

“You mean to say that you and the Doctor both fit inside there? It looks awfully tight.”

“Not tight at all. It’s much bigger on the inside!” Mr. McFeely intoned.

“Can I have a look? Am I allowed?” Upon receiving the all-clear, Fred’s hand quivered slightly as he touched the side of the box. A part of him feared that, just by running his fingers along the embossed lettering and weathered body, the thing would shoot up into the sky. Or that a three-headed alien would appear before his very eyes chanting, ‘take me to your leader’. If that happened, he didn't know what he'd do.

“The Doctor is very friendly,” Mr. McFeely reassured, “Don’t let his booming voice intimidate you.”

Fred knocked twice and immediately took a giant step backwards. He rubbed his index fingernail with his thumb pad and mumbled excitedly to his friend as he awaited his first look at a real, true alien from outer space.

“ _Who is ittt?_ " A voice sung from inside.

Mr. Rogers raised a brow at how clear the sound was. Despite the slight muffle, it sounded as though the man stood right in front of him. “It’s Fred Rogers, a friend of Mr. McFeely’s.”

The door opened and a fellow with a cloud of blonde curls and a charming smile poked out his head. His eyes darted to the left and to the right: a quaint, honey-coloured house on the corner of a suburban street with a plush, green lawn and a lovely front porch with an awning and wooden glider bench. The weather? Sunny, but not blinding, with a smattering of cumulus clouds and…(his ears perked up) plenty of twittering birds. Conclusion: a pleasant afternoon in the neighbourhood. When his survey was through he leaped out from the threshold with the kind of flair that begged for a grand _‘Ta-da!’_

“Ah, the illustrious Fred Rogers! So nice to meet you at last! I am the Doctor.” They shook hands and, when they did, Fred looked back at Mr. McFeely (and his television neighbours) with a look of innocent glee and wonder. Yes, this fellow most definitely was not from anywhere around here!

“What a colourful outfit…! Isn’t that unique? I really like that (the Doctor placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head). Mr. McFeely told me this is your spaceship?” He pointed.

“I prefer to call the ol’ girl by her given name—the _TARDIS_ ,” the Doctor gently patted her frame, “But yes, she travels in time as well as space.”

“Oh the...the Time in Relative Dimension…?”

“In Space!” David chimed in, wagging his finger.

“May I see inside?”

The Doctor snapped his fingers and, right on cue, the TARDIS' doors flung open. So many surprises in such a short period of time!

Fred traipsed inside the vehicle. He didn’t know what preconceived ideas he had regarding a space and time machine, but this was certainly not what he would have envisioned. The sleek, stark white interior; the geometry of the console and roundels; and the wide variety of buttons and switches that made up the instrument panel...it was all so fascinating. So _alien_. “Wow…It really is much bigger on the inside!” He said, stepping back onto familiar terrain, “If you have some spare time, my television friends and I, we’d love to know more about you, Doctor.”

“I would be delighted!” the Doctor declared, snapping the TARDIS closed again. He hadn’t any serious plans when he decided to land here, and with Peri gone for the time being, this was the perfect excuse for taking a well-deserved holiday.

“I’d love to join you both, but I’ve got more _speedy_ deliveries to make on my own two feet!" Mr. McFeely interjected, waving to his friends new and old. At that moment he wondered if the Doctor received mail of his own. Did he even have a working mailbox? How would the USPS deliver mail to a planet a million light years away? Was there a special system? Mr. McFeely rued having not asked these questions before, but it’s not like he had a choice! From the moment he stepped on board it was the _Doctor_ who was feeding him questions and soliloquizing the entire journey.

He decided he would try to locate his address through NASA. NASA would know, wouldn’t they? David adjusted his blazer, "Goodbye! Next time, Doctor, but until then—”

 _“Speedy! Delivery! To you!”_ they chorused. With such harmonies, one would think they had been lifelong friends!

David went on his merry way and Fred laughed a jolly good laugh (it's healthy, after all) as he escorted his guest up the porch steps and into his bungalow, “You know all the words and everything!”

“I never stray away from a good song! My companion, Peri, would attest to that, although she finds my choices to be a bit unconventional,”

“You have someone you travel with?”

“If I didn’t it would get rather lonely. Having a companion gives you someone to bounce ideas off of...someone to make you smile when all seems grim...," the Doctor's trailing voice quickly returned to its usual vigor, "Peri’s away on a field trip for school, and in the interim I decided to take a hop over to your Neighbourhood.”

“And we’re glad to have you. Travelling _is_ much better with friends, even if they're people you just met along the way.”

“Though the live-oak glistens there in Louisiana solitary in a wide flat space, I know very well I could not.”

"That's very poetic of you," Mister Rogers led the Time Lord past Picture Picture and the fish tank (which had already been sprinkled with food), and into the kitchen where the little toy car sat idle.

“I was showing how cars work. How you (he picked up the vehicle and demonstrated the various aspects) press on the gas to make it go and on the brake to make it stop. I bet your TARDIS moves a lot quicker than any car, doesn’t it?”

“While it may take you an hour to drive 60 miles, I can travel millions of light years away in mere moments, relatively speaking,” At Fred’s implied suggestion, the Doctor took the coupé and pushed it back and forth along the table in front of him. A bout of nostalgia panged in his hearts, and like a flip-book the many happy memories he shared with Jo, the Brigadier, Liz, and Sarah-Jane flashed before his eyes.

But here he held Mister Rogers’ tiny set of wheels. On the final page of the flip-book was the first instance when he saw Dr. Beavis’ red sports car. Oh, how that thing had style, character, _pizzazz_. Unfortunately, automobile companies would forgo these traits only a few decades later in favour of formulaic, cookie-cutter designs. “I did have a car of my own when I was stuck on Earth for a while.” the Doctor continued, “A bright yellow roadster...good ol’ Bessie.”

“Bessie, that’s a lovely name,”

“And instead of using your typical screwdriver to fix her,” the Doctor removed a wand-like device from his coat pocket, “I use my own—a _sonic_ screwdriver. It can do everything your tool can do, with, _mm_ , one or two added enhancements,”

“It almost looks like a children’s toy…,” Fred rotated the foreign technology in his hand, admiring the intricate design and wondering what this button did… ”Oh!” he yelped, as the model car sped off the table and onto the floor. Both men shared a hearty laugh and the Doctor slipped his device back where it came from.

“Wow...it’s nice to know that in the future everything becomes quicker and easier!”

“ _Almost_ everything,” the Doctor smirked, opting to not discuss his neverending list of chores and his inability to fix the chameleon circuit.

Mister Rogers, still believing that space travel was a long, tedious process like it was in the 20th century, offered his guest a seat on the window bench by the trolley track. As the kitchen lacked any kind of amenities or foodstuffs, he was unable to provide the traveller with a cup of warm tea or coffee. But he had had an uncountable number of visitors in his house over the decades and none of them ever complained about terrible hospitality, so he opted to not belabour the thought any further.

“So because you have a time machine, you could go back to this morning and tell yourself to... wear the blue trousers instead of the yellow?” Fred asked, turning in to the Doctor to absorb every syllable he spoke.

The Doctor crossed his legs, “Or visit the dawning of your civilisation, meet Shakespeare—”

“ _Shakespeare!_ ” Mister Rogers gawked at the incredible reply, “Not _the_ William Shakespeare? ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind—’”

“‘—and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.’ Just the one!”

“All in that box of yours?”

“It really is a marvel to behold, isn’t it?”

“Yes, indeed! And, you know, here on Earth there are a lot of science fiction shows on TV. Many of the stories revolve around good guys fighting the villains. Do you ever encounter any bad guys out there in the universe?”

“Many, unfortunately,” the Doctor frowned, “But I consider it my mission to restore peace where it is needed. I never turn my back on a person in need.”

Mister Rogers smiled. He liked that answer. If everyone did their part to eradicate cruelty and injustice, there would be no such thing as a frown. No such thing as war or hate. The days would always be sunny, except when Mother Nature was thirsty, “Your name should be the Hero instead of the Doctor!”

“Perhaps I’ll change it!”

“Perhaps!” Fred chuckled. It was at this moment when he felt compelled to let his guest stay the rest of the day. Usually, this would be the time when he’d say goodbye to his new friend, or when his new friend would say goodbye to him. But for some odd reason he felt like the Doctor could be of some further use, especially to someone very special in another town. It wasn’t common practice to cross reality and fiction, but this was a _spaceman_ he was sitting beside! A spaceman from the past, present, and future. And that certainly wasn’t common practice, either! “I know you must be a busy man, Doctor, but now that you’ve met my television friends, would you mind taking a second to introduce yourself to our friends in the Neighbourhood of Make-Believe?”

“Of course. I find your towns to be rather calming and full of friendly faces. A welcoming change from what I’m used to!”

“I’m glad; we’re all good people here,” Mister Rogers pressed a switch on the bottom of the trolley track. With the signature musical accompaniment, the red and yellow trolley sped out from its station and gave two whistles before stopping beside its operator’s arm. The host then turned to address the audience, “Last time we were pretending that Daniel Tiger had learned about space travel in school, and how _he_ wanted to become the first tiger to land on the moon. Lady Elaine and Henrietta Pussycat didn't think this was possible, but despite their opinions, Daniel remained sure that he would be the one to make history. Let’s see if he does, as the trolley goes through the tunnel and to the Neighbourhood of Make-Believe. Ready trolley?”

The trolley gave an affirmative whistle and off it went to a land not so far away…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene where the Doctor whips out his sonic _screwdriver_ instead of his sonic _lance_ was intentional.


	2. A Gift for Daniel

...Where it appeared on the other side carrying a mini-TARDIS on its roof!

The Neighbourhood of Make-Believe was just how it always was: tranquil, quiet, and with eternal skies of blue. In the centre of it all was the monarchy's castle, standing tall with its four azure towers accented with ivory battlements (still immaculate from disuse) and wide arrow loops resembling mini portcullises. Instead of a moat, the trolley track curved around its entrance like an overpass.

Standing between the track and the castle walls were two women with long faces and fidgeting hands. A brunette with medium-length hair who wore a light brown Bohemian dress and boots glanced down as she clicked her nails together, "I just don't know, Lady Elaine," she sighed.

"He'll turn up eventually," replied Elaine, an older woman with dirty-blonde hair, a long nose, and a beet-red face that matched her blouse, "Give him time."

The conversation was halted when the Doctor strutted into view of the two matronly-dressed women. As the stranger made his way over to them—crossing underneath the railway in the process—they stared with varying looks of confusion and intrigue. Gawking, especially at others, was a big no-no, but they couldn't help themselves. Characters who presented themselves in such an eccentric manner were a rare sight in Make-Believe.

And there was the added effect of the two having never seen this chap before in their lives.

But because anyone was welcome into the Kingdom, and because nothing terribly bad ever happened here, they simply waited for the traveller to state his piece.

"You must be Lady Aberlin and Lady Fairchilde," the Doctor said, proffering his hand.

The two women, as was the lay of the land, refused his gesture and curtseyed instead. The Doctor, taken aback, slipped his hand back behind him, where it met with the other. "You're correct," Lady Aberlin replied, narrowing her eyes in benign curiosity, "But who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor and I'm looking for a fellow by the name of Daniel Tiger. Do you know whereabouts I can find him?"

"We were just talkin' about him, toots. Can't find him anywhere," Lady Elaine answered.

"He was here a moment ago. Well, earlier today at least. We're— _I'm_ — looking for him too."

The Doctor rubbed his chin. Even the Neighbourhood of Milk and Honey had their fair share of mysteries. A part of him hoped it wasn't too complex of a situation, for the young boy's sake. "How unsettling. Where was the last place you saw him and what was he doing?"

"He was right here. Talking to me and Henrietta Pussycat," Lady Elaine answered.

“ _Henrietta Pussycat and me,_ ”, he corrected unconsciously.

"What? And _you_? I didn't see _you_ there, Mister!"

"It's a matter of grammar and, quite frankly, politeness. Personal pronouns should always be placed following all other pronouns in a list."

The Lady remained puzzled and he exhaled an audible breath through his nose, "Nevermind. Have you checked his home? His highly frequented spots around town?"

Lady Aberlin nodded, "I knocked on his clock—that's where he lives— but no one answered. And I asked his friends Ana Platypus and Prince Tuesday. They didn't have any idea where he might be either."

As the Doctor mulled over the remaining possibilities, there was the faint sound of crying coming from within the castle. Then the faint sound of someone speaking. And gradually the sounds got louder and louder until—

"Daniel!" Lady Aberlin gasped with relief. If only every missing person's case could be solved in record time, "Where have you been? I've searched everywhere for you!"

From one of the battlements appeared a brownish, bright-eyed tiger with a wristwatch. Daniel sniffed and wiped his eyes as he came closer to the crowd, "Henrietta...she told me tigers can't go into space. And...and only humans are allowed."

The Doctor scoffed, "Balderdash! Anyone is allowed to take a dip in the cosmic ocean! Even you!"

The timid tiger sniffed again, "Really? Is he right Lady Aberlin?"

"I would hope so, Daniel, for your sake. How do you know this for sure, Doctor?"

"Because travelling through space is my specialty. And if anyone wanted to put a restriction on who could and couldn't enjoy the freedom of witnessing something greater than yourself, well, I have a few choice words to say to them."

There was collective mumbling amongst the three others. This rainbow man was from _space_? And he seemed friendly enough; there was no reason for him to lie in the Neighbourhood of Make-Believe, anyhow. But a _real_ spaceman...in the flesh...standing right in front of Daniel Tiger! The boy’s tears of sadness became tears of joy.

After Ms. Cow and Mr. Aber taught Ana, Prince, and him about astronauts, Daniel learned that there were entire worlds beyond his own. Why, it had never crossed his mind that there was more to visit than just the surrounding areas of King Friday’s castle, the Clock, Westwood, and Somewhere Else. For such a little tiger, life now felt grand and full of unknowns. He wanted to explore it all!

Just then, a grey, perky-eared kitty wearing a pink and gold damask dress popped out from the castle.

"Henrietta?!" Lady Elaine blurted. If her face could change, she would have worn it upside down.

“Meow meow don’t believe it,” Henrietta Pussycat asserted, prancing towards the Doctor with her head held high, “Meow meow meow spaceship? Meow meow meow spacesuit?”

Lady Elaine nodded, “Good point, Henrietta. Do you have any of these, Doctor?”

“This (he presented himself) _is_ my, to use your vernacular, _spacesuit_. And my _spaceship_ is parked around the bend.”

“Meow,” Hen crossed her arms and would’ve stomped her feet too if she had any, “Meow meow human, meow meow animals. Meow meow meow meow space!”

“That’s where you’re wrong Miss...Henrietta, is it? Just within your planet alone, many animals have gone into orbit. The most famous being Laika, a dog who became the first living creature to orbit the Earth _four years_ before any human could boast the distinction!”

"Meow meow meow dog! Meow meow cats! Meow meow meow meow."

The Doctor couldn't understand why she was so adamant against young Daniel having a wish and a dream. Even if there hadn't been any animals shot into space, there was no reason why Daniel couldn't have been the first.

“Y'know, I think I heard about a French cat who managed it, too?” Lady Aberlin hinted.

“Sub-orbital, but yes. Félicette was her name; an admirable kitty she was. And, of course, (he pointed towards his badge) mine are present with me at all times.”

Henrietta found this intriguing to a point, but after seeing the Doctor’s _beautiful_ brooch, Hen was debating on whether to ask Cornflake S. Pecially to make her one in the Rockit factory. Or maybe a dozen! So she could pass them out to all of her friends who loved felines as much as she did.

Daniel, on the other hand, was too busy lapping in the incredible facts. There was still a chance for him to make history, to see the twinkling stars up close instead of from below.

Trumpets galore played clearly in his mind and he could picture everyone he knew standing before him as he received the grand honour from King Friday: 'I hereby declare Little Daniel Tiger the first tiger to visit the Moon and back!' The only thing he lacked was a way to get there…

"Miss Pussycat," the Doctor said solemnly, interrupting her prattling to Lady Elaine, "I must ask, why does it matter if one or a hundred cats have gone into space before Daniel?"

Lady Aberlin chimed in, "I agree. And discouraging him from accomplishing his dreams? That's not very nice, Hen."

Henrietta was known for being a jealous pussycat and she had no qualms about unleashing her rage in a myriad of different ways. Once she smashed a picture of Collette Tiger after overhearing Handyman Negri call Miss Tiger a 'fancy lady'. She quickly realised her fault, but the damage had already been done.

This time, however, she wasn't jealous of Daniel's desire for space travel. She was afraid. Afraid of what might happen to him. Afraid that once he left, he'd never return. She relayed her woes to the Doctor, who was sympathetic to her concern but also saddened by her technique. There was no reason for her to dissuade Daniel under the guise of inequity when fearing for his safety was a perfectly valid worry.

"Meow meow meow right...," Hen murmured, lowering her head in shame, "Meow meow sorry, Daniel."

"I accept your apology," he replied. He appreciated that Henrietta cared for his well being as much as she did. How funny it was that travelling into space made him only a teensy bit nervous compared to everything else!

A joyous fanfare echoed throughout the Kingdom before a man with a thick, white beard and flowing, white hair topped with a gilt crown promenaded out from the castle. A purple tasseled cloak dragged behind him and he took his place on the battlement that hung the mighty 'XIII' emblem.

The citizens all curtseyed and bowed, along with the Doctor, who saw no reason to not adapt to the local customs.

King Friday, breaking from routine, did not call out the names of each person standing before him so they could respond with a resounding, “Correct as usual, King Friday!”. Instead, he simply said, “Assembled throngs,” because calling out each person’s name was more work than he wished to have (and as a King, he had enough work as it was!).

But because there was one person amongst them that he did not recognise, it was his duty to inquire about such persons. The Doctor introduced himself and after repeatedly informing the royal highness that he was _not_ a chiropodist nor related to neither Mr. Chuckles the Clown nor Mr. Oliver Circus Clown, the King then asked, “What is your purpose for being here, spaceman? Or are you simply taking a leisurely stroll through my Kingdom?”

“I’m simply here to make a little tiger’s day,” the Doctor said, trying to not sound too exasperated.

“A little tiger? Well, that can only mean one person. What honour do you intend to bestow on Daniel?”

“I've heard from a reputable source that he wishes to be the first of his kind to land on the Moon. I’d like to gift him that opportunity,”

“Oh, my! Landing on the Moon!” The King exclaimed, "How novel!" Various "ooohs" and "aahhs" and "meooows" were uttered amongst the audience like a congregation taking in the Good Word.

Daniel felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as he bounced up and down on the spot. This couldn’t be happening—he had to be dreaming! Any moment now he was to awaken in bed and stretch out his muscles as the dawning of a new day seeped through his window. The confines of four familiar walls reminding him that he was still on Earth, in his own room, in his own Neighbourhood. But when he glanced over and saw a wide, thankful smile appear upon Lady Aberlin’s youthful countenance, he realised that, no, this was reality! He was really being chosen to go into space!

Lady Aberlin extended her thanks. This was the best gift the Doctor could have given to her friend. She felt like singing, but decided to save it for later.

“You mean it, Doctor?” Daniel giggled, “You really really mean it?”

“I do! That _is_ my reasoning for being here, as you've just heard. Do you accept my invitation?

Daniel whipped his attention towards the monarch, “Oh...can I go, King Friday?!” Daniel gushed.

“Of course, my boy. It is _your_ gift, after all. You needn’t ask for _my_ permission.”

“Wooow...me in space, can you believe it? I only hope I won’t float away,” the tiger mumbled, rubbing his reddening cheeks.

“You’ll be completely safe as long as I’m around,” the Doctor assured, addressing both him and the others, "My word is my bond."

“Umm, can I take my friends too? Lady Aberlin, Ana, and Prince? And—and I’d even like to take Henrietta Pussycat,"

“What a full house!” Lady Elaine drawled.

“My son in space!” King Friday gasped.

“Meow meow meow wow!” Henrietta purred.

“Aww, ugga mugga, Daniel!” Lady Aberlin cooed.

The Doctor placed a hand on his waist and tapped his chin as he pondered the logistics, “It’s more than I usually travel with, but luckily _space_ is not an issue!”

Everyone cheered and Daniel, being the affectionate tiger he was, gave the Doctor the tightest hug he could muster and thanked him for making his dream come true.

As the trolley rode past the celebratory crowd, it chimed one, two, three times. Joining in, the mini-TARDIS on top flashed her lights four times in rapid succession as, together, they made their way back into Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood.


	3. A Feeling You Know

“So, Daniel Tiger finally got his wish of going into space. Did you notice how he wanted to share his opportunity with Lady Aberlin and his other friends? He didn’t have to share, but it's just like what we said earlier, about travelling being better with friends,”

Mister Rogers rose to his feet right at the moment the Doctor walked back into the frame.

“You’ve got them all settled in, then? Into your TARDIS?” Fred asked.

“All set and ready for takeoff!” The moon was to be their main port of call but, as was a standard of the Doctor’s fluctuating itinerary, he couldn’t _just_ do a short hop to Luna and back. No, he had another stop planned...a place that they would have never dreamed of.

“Ready for takeoff," Fred repeated unconsciously, "Before you go, Doctor, since you like music I thought we’d sing a song together,”

“Why not? I have a rather distinguished singing voice, if I do say so myself,” the Time Lord grinned.

“Wonderful! You’ll be a great addition,” The guest was ushered over to the upright piano that had been moved beside the wooden balustrade. Mister Rogers took a seat on the bench and the Doctor stood with his arm rested on top. “I thought, because your clothes are so fancy, we’d sing ‘Everybody’s Fancy’?”

"That's a lovely little ditty. Just give me a brief moment...,"The Doctor belted out a few warm up notes, making Fred laugh as he glanced towards his television neighbours. When the Doctor was ready, the deceivingly intricate tune began to play from underneath Fred’s fingertips. The two sang in unison:

“Some are fancy on the outside

Some are fancy on the inside

Everybody’s fancy

Everybody’s fine

Your body’s fancy and so is mine!”

At the suggestion of the Time Lord, the middle two verses of the full song were altered to be more inclusive and Mister Rogers found it to be a splendid revision. Together they sang the jaunty number in perfect harmony.

When all was said and done, Mister Rogers pointed at his friend and looked impressed, "The Doctor does have a great voice, doesn't he?"

"Thank you, I try," he responded with playful faux humility. "If only Peri—(he clicked open his pocket watch). Oh, good heavens, look at the time; I must be off. Thank you for a splendid afternoon, Fred."

The two men shook hands and the host led the Doctor back to the front entrance, "Thank _you_ , Doctor. Come back soon?"

“Who knows, I might come back and meet you again...yesterday!” He joked.

“Yesterday,” Fred chuckled, “I will be looking forward to it. Or is it backwards?”

“Time is relative, my good man,” the Doctor said with a wink, “Farewell!”

“Goodbye, Doctor! Bon voyage!” The door softly closed between them and the host turned back towards his audience, “The Doctor is a very special person. A very _fancy_ person, isn’t he?” Mister Rogers said as he sauntered back to his signature cushioned seat by the door. “Everyone—regardless of where they come from or if they’re a human, an alien, or a fish—is fancy. And that includes _you._ What’s important is to look for what’s _fine_ in everyone, and surround yourself with people who appreciate what’s fine in you. And people who give us a really good feeling…”


End file.
